Scenes From the Devastation in Joplin

Chaos continued this morning in Joplin following yesterday’s deadly tornado as another severe storm rolled in mid-morning, bringing thunder, lightning, and moderately high winds and brief hail. Still, firefighters continued going door-to-door, sifting through what remained of the most damaged homes. Just as officials did in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, someone was out early this morning making it clear which homes were no longer habitable, bright orange check marks were spray-painted on the front of many homes. Another house had the words "Gas Leak" painted on it.

A hospital worker was sucked outside, clinging to the handles of a heavy glass door, and then tossed around like a rag doll. A pregnant couple had considerable damage in every room of their house, except the one being prepared for their new child. One family hid safely in their basement while their home fell apart around them. The tornado interrupted the graduation of a Joplin high school being held at a nearby college, but the school's principal was quickly alerted to the fact that much of the school itself had been destroyed. "You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing," he said. "That's really what it looked like.” (More Joplin tornado stories.)